Chapter Two
“First chemo tomorrow, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Nervous?” Logan stuffed several fries into his mouth.
Andrew shrugged and glanced around the restaurant. Servers wove through the room like ants, taking orders and delivering food and drinks to crowded tables. The smoky-sweet aroma of barbeque mixed with fried food wafted from the kitchen, and a burst of laughter sounded from the table behind them. “I just want to get it over with.”
“Didn’t seem all that bad when my mom went through it,” Logan said. “I went with her a few times, and she just hung out and watched TV the whole time.”
“I’m not worried about the chemo part. It’s the days that come after that are supposed to suck. I don’t want to be so tired that all I can do is lie around my house, you know? I don’t want to miss class, and I can’t take time off from my internship. I want to go to the gym. Go out with you and the guys. I don’t want my mom and sisters to hang around here…they need to go back to Nebraska if I’m gonna stay sane. But if I get sick after this first round, they’ll never leave me alone.”
“What about your dad?”
“He’s not here.” Andrew kept his eyes on his food.
Logan paused like he wanted to ask more but seemed to decide against it. “It’s not enough that Jeni lives here in Kansas City? She can keep an eye on you.”
“Have you met my mother?”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Logan took a drink of beer. “If it gets too crowded at your apartment, just send Jeni over to my place. She can take care of me instead.”
Andrew straightened and looked Logan hard in the eye. “Watch it.”
Logan grinned, unconcerned. “You’ve got a hot twin, man.”
“The fact that she and I look alike doesn’t bother you?”
“She doesn’t look at all like your ugly ass. She’s a hot piece of—”
“If you want your balls to stay attached to your body, I wouldn’t finish that sentence.”
Logan snorted. “Fine.”
Their waitress sauntered up to the table and tossed her long, white-blond hair behind her shoulder. “How we doing, guys?” She flashed a coy smile, and her blue eyes passed back and forth between the two. She focused on Andrew and gave him a blatant once-over, just like she had when they’d first sat down. Another time, he might have encouraged her and asked for her number at the end of the meal. He knew she’d be happy to provide it.
Wasn’t happening, though. Not today.
“We’re good, thanks,” Andrew said.
“Let me know if I can get you anything.” She brushed her fingers across Andrew’s shoulder as she turned. “Anything at all.”
Logan leaned halfway out of his chair to watch her walk away. “You’d better do something about that, Andrew.”
“Nah.”
“Why the hell not? She’s cute, and aren’t tall blondes your type? She actually kind of looks like—”
“Caroline. I noticed. Not interested.”
Logan was right. Andrew was usually attracted to blond women. But over the last week-and-a-half, no matter how many times he tried not to, he’d had a certain redheaded pharmacist on his mind.
He’d been in a terrible mood the day he met Lauren. Part of it had stemmed from his desire to avoid going to the appointment with the entire female side of his family. He wished he could have just told them no, that he wanted to go by himself. Or allowed only Jeni to come with him. As twins, they were the closest siblings of the group, and she was the one he felt most comfortable sharing this with. But it would have hurt their feelings, especially his mom’s, and it wasn’t worth the weeks of grief they’d aim in his direction.
The other reason he’d started the day pissed off wasn’t something he’d ever say out loud.
It was hard to even admit to himself.